Compressor and pump



July 1o, 192s. 1,676,189

. c. H. LUsK l COMPRES SOR AND PUMP Filed Sept.19,1925 zs'heets-sheex 1v lf) (Y) @QM/MM AT'ToRNEY July l0, 1928. v 1,676,789

v I :.H.| usKVV A COMPRESSOR AND PUMP Filed sepan 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 39 INVENTOR: r3 Md/MM a@ vATTORNEY f velocity or kinetic energy of the piston of YPatented July 10, 179218.

, Uni

e i CHARLES H. LusK, on NEWTON;rtasssonusnrfrs. y

ser

coiurnnsson Ann Puivir.

yApplicatfid11'filed s@prenaiterlav 1923;" seiirnfieeassfi; l

The invention tobe hereinafter described; relates to air compressors `or pumps, VandiV more particularly to meansfor utilizing the the air compressor or pump, therebyimaterially toincrease the efficiency thereof. The" on may be either a gas' lor `a1 fluid acted Y liquid.

A piston moving within a cylinderyhas velocity which in one type of compressor 1s absorbcd'and distributed as energy from one stroke of the pistonto the next stroken by means of a fly wheel ,onV a crank shaft connected to the'piston by a connecting rod. Since the motion olf the ily wheel is continu ous in y'the same direction' of' rotation, the

. velocity energywthereof is not completely lost, but to a large extent is conserved Vand returned to the piston'.

lVhcn a piston n'ioving within a cylinder` is used to transmit motion-to a liquid'orto Y compress a gas, the velocity 'energy of the piston is transmittcdtofthe liquider gas. If the liquid or gas `actedupon is allowed to escapethrougli an outlet inv thecylinder, it carries with it the velocity energy receivedv from the piston. Usually the cylinf der outlet is relativelyl small as compared to the cross section of lthecylinder, and the 30 velocity of the fluid is increased. in passing through the outlet. If aA gas is 4compressed by the cylinder and delivered into a region of lowv pressure, its velocity is still further rincreased' by its diffusion.v

Under certain conditions in practice, the

V fluid moved by the piston is broughtv to rest eventually without transmitting its motion to lanother movable body. Under these conf` ditions the velocity energy of the'fluid is in` direct opposition to a stationary body, such,

for example, as a storage tank or'container.'

This result'sin compression 'of the ygas and transformation of kinetic energy into heat energy..

,The present invention provides means for utilizing or saving velocity or kinetic energy In' carrying the invention into practical` effect,

of the fluid acted upon bythe piston.

in the present instance, the movement of the fluid by the piston istransmitted to a column of mercury in ,a tube, and on each stroke of the piston the mercury column is elevated in the tube, and at lthe end of each stroke, the mercury lcolumn. is allowed to' ,drop .under influence of gravityV thereby to move the liquid ory compress the gas which elevated the column. SinceV mercury khas high specificl gravity "and al low coeficient of 1t drops quickly with substantial f friction', force. .Y y

. When the mercury column has V been raised,vit 'haspotential energy because of the influence off-gravity thereon, and when vthe column drops",f1itspotential energy is' conv verted by gravity tokinetic energy.

` 's When the fluid is'moved by the piston, its velocity or' kinetic energyis transmittedin awlarge extent to' the -inercury column, and

is yieldingly opposed by the influence of i gravity ou t'lieimercury column- Thus, by the'cooperatmn ofthey mercury column with an air compressor or pump,"tbe efficiency Fig. 1v is a side elevation of apparatusem- V bodyingtlie invention, certain parts being shown insection; l i v n n 2 is a perspective view of one of the valves provided inthe pipe for conduct-ing the fluid from the air compressor.; i A Fig. 3 is` .a vl'ongitu'dina'l section through the valve shown-in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4l is a-sectionytake'n on :line '4l-44; of Fig-3;@ l

' Figs. 5, 6 and `are, diagrams'to beL referred to; and V Y f' Fig. Sis a modificationto. be referred to; The apparatus shown hereinas one goodl form of the invention, comprises an air compressor' whichl may be of well known construction and therefore, it is unnecessary to ssy show and-describe t-he same in detailherein.. l

Briefly,this air compressor comprises a cvlinder .l containing a piston 3 connected Aby 'i 15 journalledl in bearings in a casing 17'.,`

vrlhe crankis counterbalanced by a weight 19. Fast on the shaft 15 isa fly wheel 21,

and also `fast on theshaft is Va Vpulley'28 adapted to be driven by a belt frorngany suitable vsource of power. v v

' The heads of the cylinder 1 areprovided with water jackets, andvsaid cylinder isvprovided with vinlet valves`25l and discharge Lee-76,789.

100 from the cross head to a crank 13 ona shaft, Y

the Vother leg isV extended upward, ,in the'y present instance, somewhat above thev pipe 29. The tube 33 contains a mercury column 39. Y.

kSuitable valve means may be provided for controlling the delivery of the fluid from the compressor to the U-tube, and from the U`tube to the tank, and in thepresent instance, valves 41 and 43` are provided in the pipe 29 at opposite sides of thev point of connection .o'l the U-'tube therewith. ASince these valves are similar in construction, a

vdescription of one will su'liice for both.Y y This valve comprises a body 45 (Figs. 2,

. 3 and 4) having necks 47 and 49 threaded v.connected aswivel 79 to. the plug.y The 'lor connection with the pipe 29. The body is-provided with a head 53 having a stuiling box 55, and a head having a stutling box 59.4 Mounted in they body is a Vcylindrical plug- (i1 havingv a. `transverse passage 63 which may be brought into or out o1 registration with the necks 47 and 49 on rotative adjustment ot the plug.

if A shaft'65 projects through the headY 53,

and is connected by a pin 6,7 with tlie'plug.v

On the 'outer end of the shaft is an'arm 6,9 secured `by a nut 7.1.` To indicate the rotative adjustmentcf. `the plug, an index" 73 may be secured to theshaft 65 and moved over a graduated dial 7 5. u Means will be provided to impart longitudinal adjustment to the plug 61, thereby to varythe effective opening of thepassage` 63., VThis means comprises a shaft 77 thread-v edinto the headi57 and having its inner end outer end of the shai't7 7 is provided with a hand wheel 81 `adapted to be held in ditierent positionsof rotative adjustment by a linger 33 secured to the body and adapted y to. enter in one'of a series ofnotches 85pm the l,hand wheel. The ingerV 83 has a graduated scale 87 adapted to be read in connection with theperphery of the hand wheel. The construction is such that on manual rotation of the hand wheel, the plug will be shifted longitudinally with respect to the u body, thereby to cause the effective opening 60 of the passage 63 to be varied.

Suitable means may be provided automatically vto control the valves 41 and This means, in the pres-ent instance of the -invent1on,compr'1ses a cani 89 'lia-st on the crank shaft 15u-referred to, vand cooperating with a follower 91 on a bell-crank 93 car'- ried by a bracket 95, said bell-crank being pressed by a coil spring 97 to hold the iollower 91 in engagement with the cam. The

bell-crank lis connectedv by a link 99 Vwith the arm of the valve 41, and the arms of the valves" 41 and 43 are connected by a link 10,1. The cam-89 hasa pair ot diametrically opposed depressions 89a in the periphery thereof. Thel construction is such that twice in each vcomplete rotation ot the cam, the followerwill dro-p into the depressions 89, and thereby shift the valves in, one direc' tion, ,and shortly thereafter the follower will'` move out of the depressions,` and there-f by shift the valves in theopposite direction.

The valve arms are 'sovmounted ontheir shafts that Athey are in verticaly positions when the valves are open, and are in oblique positions when the valves are closed. When the valve 41 is open, the valve 43 is closed, as

indicated in Fig.v 1. n y

The operation of the apparatus is as fol-y lows: lVhen the compressor piston 3 is ready to move toward the right (Fig. 5), the valve 41 is open, and the valve 43 lis closed.` rAs im Y the piston moves toward the right, the fluid acted upon will be orced'through the pipe 29 into the tube, thereby .orcingthe' mercury down in the leg 35y and up intlieleg 37. Since the fluid does not meet an immovable body, but meets the mercury column which is yieldable, the velocity-energy of the. tluid is transmitted to the mercury column, and

the elevation of the mercury column in thel leg 39 is partiallydue to the velocity energy, and the head thereby 'produced becomes available as vpotential energy. y The stat-ic pressure head of themeroury column is in dicated at 103, and the velocity head is'- indicated at 105 in Fig. 6.

" When the piston is at the end of its stroke,

asf

and the mercury column head has been produced,y the valve41 is closed', and the valve 43 is opened, thereby allowing the mercury column head toiorce the fluidV into the stor-V agetank 31. Thereupon, ythe valve Y43A is closed, and the valve 41 is openedtFig. 7), so thatv when the piston commences stroke tothe left, the pressure and velocity 'energ` f' of the fluid will be transmitted to thel mer.-

cury column, with the effect above described.

Under certain conditions it may be desirable to provide a chamber 107 in the pipe. 29 at a point between the compressor cylinder and the valve41. This chamberiincreases 4the amount of fluid between the compressor andthe mercury column and contributes to.y

smoothness of operation.

Because of the high specific gravity and.r`

small coefficient of frictionof .ther mercury column, the latter will drop quickly when released,and therefore, will not prevent; op` eration of the air compressor Vat high speed.

It (will be understood that the mercury fao inverse.

`column employed will'fhave a mass and body Aor column.

- There are few substances which have 'less 4friction on hard surfaces'and are more easily movable thereover than mercury. Therefore,rthe fluid advanced by the compressor piston. in striking the surface V,of the mercury column, imparts a great proportion ofitsvelocity energy to the mercury c olumn. This velocity energy causes the merf @fury-column to rush upward in theleg 37 of the Ufshaped tube, and as the .column 1 moves' upward, it is constantly acquiring potential Aener-gy untileventually the action of gravity Ion .the .column overbalances the klinetic energy of the fluid.'4 Thenvthe mercury column has acquired and possesses a Y certain amount 4of potential energy due to Velevation of the column, and .this potential energy acts upon the fluid.

When .the potential :energy of the mercury :fycolumn has become greater than the potential-energy of the fluid represented by pressure, the mercury column descends in the tube 'leg 37 until the two' energies are equalized. On the next strokeV of the compressor piston, the above cycle of operations is repeated. Y 1

'.InFig. 8 is shown a modiflcationin which theleg 37 of the mercury tube is closed by a dome`109, and a shorter column and mass of mercury is employed. In operation, the mercury column will be forced intermittently upward fin the ,tube leg 37, thereby compressing the body of air in the leg and dome above the mercury column. When the valve 43 is opened the'air thus compressed and the influence of gravity on the column will force the air back of the mercury column in the tube leg 35 into the 'storage tank.

Itwill be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown, and that various deviations may be made therefrom without departingfrom the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is l. The combination with an air compressor, of a receiver for the vcompressed air, a-

pipe extending from the air compressor to the receiver, a tube communicating with said pipe at a point. between the compressor and. the receiver and containing a mercury column adaptent@ .be elevated Strokes ofthe. compresser; thereby te etere este@ ,Vf-:lee tyenleyothe air @Set in 'moties by the Strokes thegcomprsssor;

. valve Operableto permit compressed air 120 flew frere the Compressor into the Die@ and tube er t0 P'lef vent compressedar trom ewnsnt the Pipe and tube, .a valve .operable [to Permit' @my Column into .the receiver, 0r. to. prevee? the compressed air from being forced by the mercury' @911.111.111 .into .the reever field, means .automatically .t0 .Operate Seid. Ylvs- The .Combination with an air .CoIrpreS-u sor, `of a tube communicating .with the compressor .and "contalnmga. .mercury `0.0.1.-

umn-adapted to be elevated Avon strokes of vthe y compressor, thereby to store vup the velocity energy .of V.the airset in motion lby thestrokes of the compressor, a valve operable to.per mit t-he :compressed air to pass from the .coms

pressor intoA the tube, and .tofprevent coni'-, 1

pressed air from .passing from-the compres? sor to the-tube,a valvefor permitting lthe compressed eilt@ .be erdby .bllemluly column fromgth'e t ube,1`.or'rto preventthe sie compressed air from `being forced by 'Y `automatically yto operate said valves. Y

.The combination .with an J eil 0.0m- Pressor, of receiver f0.1q the' cmple'eed aie', Pipe entend-ine: :from .the Y a.r-..CQII1PFGSS0F to the. receiver, .en @Standing 'tl-Shane@ llbe. .communicating withkthe .eine and .sentaieing a mercury column movabledovvnward in one of the legs ofthe U-'shaped tube and upward in the other leg thereof on Acompression strokesof the compressor,- thereby to store up the velocity energy ofthe air set in motion by the strokes of the compressor, valve means for the pipe, and means autooperate said valve means to deliver air compressed by the strokes of the compressor to the mercury column of the tube to'elevate mercury lcolumn :fromthe tube, and means .matically operatedbyfthe-compressor to the mercury column and then admitV the compressed air Aunder the pressure of said column to the receiver.

4. rlihe combination' of a therein adapted tor act upon a fluid, a recylinder, a piston.

cciver, a pipe extending from the cylinder to l the receiver, a vU-shaped tube having one end connected-tothe pipe at a point between Y the cylinder and the receiver, said tube conf4 taining a mercury column, and valve means for permitting lthe fluid to pass from the cylinder'through the pipe into one of thelegs of the U-shaped tube, therebyto force the mercury up in the other leg `vof the tube, said valve means'having provision for allowthe mercury to force the Huid from the tube into the receiver. .l l 5. The combination of a` cylinder, a .piston therein adapted to act upon a fluid, a tube communicating with the cylinder. and con- Vvalves.

" therein ad'apted'to act e Ytalner communicating yWith the cylinder and taining a mercury column-, adapted-to bev elevatedby the fluidv onstrokesot the piston, thereby to store upY the velocityenergy ofthe "fluid setjin motionby the strokes of the pistoiurvalvesffor controlling passagey ofthe Vfluid from the cylinder tothe tube, and pas sage ofthe fluid fromV uthe/tube, and means automatically to'oper'ate said valves having y provision for simultaneously closing vone of opening the other oi' said saidv valves and 6. The combination a cylinder, piston having thereinV body "of mercury. adapted to be elevated by' the fluid on 'strokesfof the v piston, therebyto; store up velocity energy ofthe fluid setinl n'mtion'byA the/*Smokes of the piston, anda valve mechanism :tory con'- trolling passagefo'l' the fluid' fromf'the cylin-` der tothe body' of mercury in the container and passage of the fluid fromthe container. Y 17; The combination ofl a cylinder, a-piston u therein adapted to act'vupon a fluid, astorage tank, a container"communicating Witlrtlie cylinder and the storage tank and having" "therein Vafbody ofi mercury adapted vto be elevated'byth fluid on strokes otthe piston,

' thereby to storierup in the body. of mercury' 'velocity energy vof thefluid set in motion by Y the strokes ot the piston, and a valve mech okanis'm for automatically controlling passage oi the'luidA from the Cylinder into'the con-l taineragainst the body of mercury, and pas'- upo'n afluid, a Y con# sage of the fluid from the container intoV the storage tank. Y

8. The combinationl ofia cylinder, a pistontherein adapted to act upon a fluid, atube communicating with the cylinder and ,conf

taining a mercury column adapted to. be elevated bythefluid on strokes ofthe piston,

thereby to storeA up velocity lenergyoftheluid set in motion ton,

by the strokes-of the pisclcsed .end ofthe vtube,containingair com-l pressed `by the mercury column when the lattervis elevated in the tube, valve `means, for controlling passage of the fluidV lfrom the cylinder to the tube and passage oif'thefluid from the tube', and means automatically yto operate said valverneans..`

V9.',.The combination of a c linder af iston` y therein adaptedto .,aet'upon a fluid, a containercon'imunzcating With the said tube having a closed-end and a Y space between thermercury#column and'rthef` cylinder andf having "therein/a, body of mercury and an.

Yin ythe container, andxpassageo'f the fluid'V from thevcontainer. r p

CHARLES i the body of mercury being adapted.v by the fluid on strokes of the c .thepressure oftheair insaid 

